Crossley table telephone, 1879

Made:
1879 in Bradford
Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter. Three quarter front view of whole object on grey background. From a colour Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter. Detail view of object with open case on grey background. From a colour 1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, 1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, 1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, 1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, 1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, 1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, 1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England,

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Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter. Three quarter front view of whole object on grey background. From a colour
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter. Detail view of object with open case on grey background. From a colour
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England,
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England,
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England,
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England,
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England,
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England,
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

1940-8: Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England,
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Crossley desk-type telephone transmitter, made by Emmot and Blakey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, 1879.

Louis John Crossley (1842-1891) was a wealthy carpet manufacturer, but he was also responsible for improving Professor David Edward Hughes' (1831-1900) crude carbon transmitter, eventually taking out a patent for his improvements (patent Number 412 of 1879). Crossley was also acquainted with Walter Emmot and Edwin Blakey, who were attempting to introduce the Bell telephone to the UK, but were struggling to find an effective transmitter. The Crossley instrument was widely used for private wire and early telephone exchanges, and for a few years was the standard telephone used by the Post Office, until it was superseded by the Gower-Bell telephone.

Details

Category:
Telecommunications
Object Number:
1940-8
Materials:
bakelite, copper (alloy), glass, ivory and wood (unidentified)
Measurements:
overall: 120 mm x 320 mm x 300 mm, 4.3 kg
type:
telephone
taxonomy:
  • component - object
credit:
Donated by H. F. Jackson